Birmingham’s troubles are well publicised. A little more than three months ago Clive Heaphy took on the job of running the finance department at the city’s council. Here he reveals his principles for getting to grips with the new role.

Arriving on a cold, crisp January day to take up my new role as chief financial officer for Birmingham City Council, two things struck me immediately. Firstly, the hill up to The Council House, the authority’s headquarters, is deceptively steep (code for how out of condition I was) and, secondly, the imposing nature of the building.

Indeed the latter, I have come to realise, is symbolic of the central role that Birmingham City Council plays in local city and regional life, and how wide its

Local government minister Rishi Sunak has encouraged Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) pools to increase their investment in housing. Speaking at the Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association (PLSA) local government[…]

A home counties borough council has agreed to amend its property investment strategy to include residential developments. In February, Basingstoke Borough Council approved plans to boost its strategy for property[…]

Guidance introduced last year on how councils should account for controversial Lender Option Borrower Option (LOBO) loans has been clarified after causing confusion among auditors. A group of audit firms[…]

A bill to ban councils borrowing from central government for commercial property investment is to be considered by the House of Commons. Christopher Chope, Conservative MP for Christchurch, has published[…]

Lending between councils has become controversial with some accused of offering loans at “bargain basement” rates. David Green analyses the elements that go into setting a rate. Inter-authority lending has[…]

The government has appointment Brian Roberts, a former director of resources at Leicestershire County Council, to oversee the finances of troubled Northamptonshire County Council. Communities secretary Sajid Javid announced in[…]

Council finances are not in an unsustainable position, Melanie Dawes, permanent secretary at the communities department, reassured MPs this week. Dawes appeared before the Public Accounts Committee to discuss the[…]

Treasury-imposed barriers to councils repaying historic high-interest loans from the Public Works Loan Board should be removed, a financial analyst has claimed. In an article on his Risky Finance website,[…]

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LGPS reports bumper average return of 21.4%: Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) funds produced an average 21.4% return on their investments last year, with three quarters outperforming their benchmarks. The strong returns, revealed in the LGPS… dlvr.it/QTyvSk

Northants financial reporting ‘vague, inconsistent, unclear and lacking details’: Auditors say that the quality and transparency of financial reporting at Northamptonshire County Council has prevented effective decision making. In its interim audit… dlvr.it/QTykBC

LPGS pools urged to sign up to transparency code: A London borough’s pensions chief has called on all Local Government Pension Scheme pools to sign up to a new transparency code designed to help individual funds make better investments.[...] dlvr.it/QTyWyB

Conrad Hall: The lesson for LOBOs from backgammon: Calculating whether LOBOs are a good risk is controversial. Conrad Hall uses lessons drawn from the famous board game to help devise a plan for managing the controversial loans. LOBOs[...] dlvr.it/QTxyGJpic.twitter.com/7dqx6srYcl

Minister calls on LGPS pools to channel more investment into housing: Local government minister Rishi Sunak has encouraged Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) pools to increase their investment in housing. Speaking at the Pensions and Lifetime Savings… dlvr.it/QTpDhNpic.twitter.com/01WSmF3lQa

Clive Heaphy: My first 100 days as CFO at Birmingham City Council: Birmingham’s troubles are well publicised. A little more than three months ago Clive Heaphy took on the job of running the finance department at the city’s council. Here he reveals[...] dlvr.it/QThGNSpic.twitter.com/fsdI5cjlUG

Basingstoke builds housing into investment strategy: A home counties borough council has agreed to amend its property investment strategy to include residential developments. In February, Basingstoke Borough Council approved plans to boost its strategy… dlvr.it/QTBNYl

Board moves to end auditor confusion over LOBOs: Guidance introduced last year on how councils should account for controversial Lender Option Borrower Option (LOBO) loans has been clarified after causing confusion among auditors. A group of audit… dlvr.it/QTB1NF

MPs propose a ban on councils borrowing for commercial property investment: A bill to ban councils borrowing from central government for commercial property investment is to be considered by the House of Commons. Christopher Chope, Conservative MP for… dlvr.it/QT9qnFpic.twitter.com/MGtLH3KVQy

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